The End
by mar-map
Summary: What happened between the start of the Millefiore attacks and Tsuna coming from the past, and how the family learned to cope.


(**Disclaimer**: I do not claim to own Reborn! or it's characters. Set during the Millefiore arc.)

_Tsuna, Tsuna, Tsuna_. They were doing this all for him. To ensure safety their base had been relocated underground. Ever since the attempt at the boss' life Gokudera had taken the initiative to up all security protocol.

There was no way the Storm Guardian was going to let anyone or thing get near his boss any time soon. His temper had grown short and he was rarely seen far from Tsuna's side. Yamamoto couldn't remember that last time he'd seen Gokudera eat or sleep.

It was obvious that he was blaming himself for letting the rival family get close enough to even think they could take Tsuna's life. At least Yamamoto thought it was obvious.

Tsuna was not the one they needed to worry about, however. "Where's the little guy?" Yamamoto finally asked. It was the third day Reborn hadn't shown up for food. It was uncharacteristic of him.

Uneasily Tsuna shared a glance with Futa. They were hiding something. The swordsman didn't like that and it was clear Gokudera felt the same way he did.

"The Arcobaleno," Tsuna said setting down his utensils. "Something's happening to them." Tsuna was staring his guardians in the eye. "Viper and Skull are dead. Collonello and Lal have gone missing, and Reborn..."

Over the years Tsuna had definitely grown. He was so much stronger, a truly powerful force. This sudden moment of weakness was a rare moment. It hit too deep to even consider hiding.

It wasn't nearly as shocking as the news though. Something effecting the all powerful Arcobaleno? Something powerful enough to kill two of them and leave Reborn what only could be assumed was dying.

* * *

"Gokudera!" Yamamoto ran after the other man.

The bomber flipped around angrily. "What, idiot?" he snapped with annoyance. He pulled a silver lighter from his pocket lighting the cigarette hanging limply from his lips.

"How's Tsuna doing?" his expression was serious, a little sad. This seemed to immediately sober the Storm Guardian. Tsuna always had that affect on Gokudera.

Gokudera shook his head, tousling silver hair. "I can't find him. Futa says he'll be okay, he just needs to be alone." Gokudera's expression spoke that he did not, in fact, think Tsuna would be okay alone.

It had been a week since Tsuna had told them about the Arcobaleno. Since then Lal Mirch had returned and locker herself away. Everyone took that as news that Colonello had died. Not long after Verde came to throw his mind in with Giannini's. Reborn died. Verde left again.

Now they were holding a ceremony for them. "Will you sit by me?" Yamamoto asked, "at the ceremony?"

Gokudera looked like he was going to snap angrily at him before thinking better of it. Hardly noticeable, the Italian gave a nod. In spite of everything Yamamoto managed a small smile.

* * *

No one was exactly sure how Tsuna was doing. It was clear now that the family was under attack. Small scrimmages were happening all over the place. They just couldn't attack back because, honestly...they had no idea who they were supposed to be fighting.

Loudly Ryohei burst into the room. It really wasn't much of a surprise. The boxer had a loud disposition, though since everything had started he'd grown strangely quiet. The recent events were sobering to all of them.

"Hibari's gone!" the shout used to be one of enthusiasm. That was now gone.

"What was that, turf top?" Gokudera growled at him from behind a paper. Obviously he was not taking the other seriously despite all they'd been through together.

"Hibari's gone!"

This caused him to glance up. He exchanged a glance with Yamamoto who was lounging on the sofa across the room. "He wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything." It was a statement but Gokudera was obviously unsure.

"Of course not," Yamamoto confirmed.

Their eyes never wandered from each other before turning back to Ryohei whose expression was just as grim.

"Right?"

* * *

Yamamoto walked carefully behind the bomb specialist. The Italian was muttering to himself around his cigarette. It wasn't yet lit but the swordsman was sure he'd gone through at least a pack already today.

"Less than a second, eh?" he growled at the gravestone, "what happened to that?" Yamamoto was sure that under that angry facade was pain.

"Gokudera?" Yamamoto knew he was treading in dangerous territory. It would be like walking through a mine field from here on out. "Are you okay?"

There was no indication the other had heard. Not at first at least. "Of course not, baseball freak." Despite no longer playing the sport - at least not competitively - Gokudera still used the old name.

Feeling compelled he took a few steps closer urged on by the fact that Gokudera had been honest - and not tried to blow him up. "It's going to be okay, Gokudera."

"We're under attack!" the bomber snapped at him. Yamamoto didn't let the harsh tone get to him. "Reborn is dead, Hibari has gone missing, and now Shamal..."

"Gokudera..." Yamamoto wanted to console him. He was hurting, more than Yamamoto had originally come to believe. Despite his protests and harsh words to the doctor he really had meant a lot to the Storm Guardian.

"He told me...the trident mosquitoes..." Gokudera was still facing Shamal's tomb. The cigarette had fallen from slack lips and his entire body was trembling.

"Even the strongest people can mess up sometimes," the swordsman spoke gently, pleased with the progress he seemed to be making.

"Shamal wasn't strong," Gokudera said. "He was smart. He used his head from everything except picking up girls." Turning suddenly harsh, he spat, "I'm going to kill them for this. .One."

Carefully Yamamoto draped his arm over Gokudera's shoulder. He knew he was going to get so burned for this. "No, you're not. Doing something like that will leave Tsuna in danger. We can't risk anything right now."

"Stop being so reasonable," snapped Gokudera but there wasn't much poison. The tension seemed to melt away from his shoulders under Yamamoto's arm. His eyes closed tiredly.

"Somebody's got to do it when you're not," Yamamoto chuckled. Tone turning serious he added. "We will get through this, Hayato." Okay, now he was pushing it by using Gokudera's given name, and knew it.

However, all the explosives expert said was. "I know."

* * *

Comfort was something they all needed right now. Death and pain were all around them. For that reason Yamamoto found Gokudera seeking him out more and more. Eventually it came to a point where they were rarely seen separated.

It was happening to all of them. No one wanted to be alone for too long, that they mostly tended to hang around the same rooms most of the time. No one was ever really in their room alone.

It even got to the point where people would camp out overnight in main rooms together, camped out on different pieces of furniture for the night, just because they didn't know how long it would be until the other one was dead. Gone forever.

* * *

Millefiore, they soon learned. That was the name of their rivals. Knowing the name really didn't make them feel any better.

News had reached them that Basil had gone missing. Lal Mirch had left as well but promised to be back as soon as possible. Dino and the rest of the Cavallone family was gliding under the radar. Iemitsu had taken Nana on vacation to Italy but they hadn't heard from them in days.

Ever since the debacle had begun there had been no news of Mukuro. That really wasn't uncommon. The only good in it was Chrome informing them she was sure he was alive.

Honestly though. How much worse could this all get? Things could only go up from here, right? Right?

* * *

Nearly the entire family was there to see Ryohei and Yamamoto off. Ryohei was being sent by the boss on a special job. Yamamoto was going to make sure that everyone's family got out of Japan safely.

"Be careful," Gokudera growled at Yamamoto adjusting the other's tie restlessly. It was obvious the bomber didn't want him to go, not without him at least.

Long had the time passed when Yamamoto would smile at the words and laugh Gokudera's worry away. He did, however, manage to give him at reassuring smile. "Always."

"But you've never gone out alone when something like this was happening," Gokudera said.

"We'll be careful to the extreme, octopus head," Ryohei told him. Despite his words his tone was completely serious. Earnest.

Yamamoto spoke calmly. The old baseball player would have thrown in a joke or at least a chuckle. This hardened and grim person couldn't do it. "We'll be back soon, Hayato. We're counting on you to look after Tsuna while we're gone, not that you wouldn't anyway."

There was a spark of life there from the old spitfire Gokudera. Slowly his expression softened. "All right, don't get yourself killed then."

Yamamoto smiled lightly at the attitude. "I'll try not to die and disappoint you then." Gokudera punched Yamamoto lightly in the arm. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

"Bye, idiot," he grumbled, lighting up. "You better stay alive too, turf top," he muttered. He gave the two a lingering look, hoping that he would see them again soon before going back into the base.

* * *

The return of Yamamoto should have been a happy affair. Something good had finally happened. They'd had one of the guardians out on a mission who had actually returned.

Some of them had even tried to throw a party. They'd had the whole room ready, food made, music ready, even some games had been set up despite their age. Gokudera had even made some of his custom fireworks, ones that could just be set off in the base without anything bad happening.

Soon after the return though, it was obvious a party was not what Yamamoto needed. His eyes were cold and guarded and his lips sealed shut tight. He looked like a man ready to go on a rampage that everyone knew would end in death of both him and many others.

The party idea was quickly shut down. They'd gone through a session of grilling him - lightly - and trying to figure out how his mission had gone. What had happened to make him like this.

No one could breach his hard shell.

Futa had given up and instead left Yamamoto alone. Giannini looked worried but knew he wouldn't succeed where Futa had failed. Tsuna talked to him outside his door for a good half hour but he wouldn't open. Bianchi even tried but to no avail. Everyone began to avoid his room. He hadn't straight out yelled yet but they all knew it was a matter of time.

So finally Gokudera went to his room. He hammered loudly on the door, cigarette gripped firmly between his teeth. His green eyes held an unexplained anger. "Let me in, idiot!" he shouted at the door.

After about a minute of loud hammering and cursing on the other side of the door Yamamoto opened it sharply. "What do you want, Gokudera?" he snapped, not really in the mood to deal with the Storm Guardian.

"What the hell is wrong with you, idiot?" Gokudera's voice was still loud with anger. He pulled the cigarette from his lips and breathed out a long breath of smoke that curled up into the air.

"Gokudera, I'm really not in the moo-"

"I don't care if you're in the mood or not," he snapped pushing the door open where Yamamoto had been trying to close it on him. "You're going to tell me what the _hell_, gave you the right to become all moody all of a sudden. You've got the Tenth worried."

Yamamoto snorted in disgust. "That's all you care about isn't it; Tsuna."

"What the hell is wrong with you!" he snarled. "Find out they tore down your stupid baseball field or something?"

The other glared at him fiercely and pushed him back. Hard. Gokudera stumbled loosing his footing in surprise. "They killed my father," Yamamoto snapped and slammed the door in Gokudera's face.

* * *

A couple hours later of lounging in his room and staring at the ceiling just thinking Yamamoto couldn't help but feel bad for the way he'd acted. He hadn't really meant what he'd said. He knew Gokudera did care for other people than Tsuna, that his quiet indifference had made everyone worry about him, and how he shouldn't have yelled at Gokudera when the Italian hadn't known what was wrong.

He still felt terrible. He'd let his father get killed and both Haru and Kyoko hadn't agreed to come back to the safety of the base with him. However, knowing that Tsuna and the rest of the family was worried about him, and that Gokudera was probably furious, he felt worse.

With much effort Yamamoto pushed himself from the couch and opened his door to leave. He knew he had to make it up to Gokudera and Tsuna for the way he'd acted. Not to mention Futa and Bianchi as well for the cold attitude he'd had with them.

Yamamoto was surprised when he saw Gokudera sitting against the wall across from his door. The explosives expert scrambled to his feet when he saw Yamamoto come out.

"Um...about earlier..." Gokudera glanced away.

"It's no problem," Yamamoto told him calmly. "You didn't know what was going on. I should be apologizing for acting like I did. I know you were just trying to help."

"Sorry about your dad."

"Yeah."

"I acted like an idiot too," Gokudera told him quietly.

"Hayato, are you apologizing?" Yamamoto couldn't help but smile a little. Gokudera hardly ever apologized to anyone. Well, other than Tsuna, and Tsuna wasn't the one he ever did anything to.

"Sh-shut up, idiot!"

* * *

"Where's he at?"

Lambo answered, "With Giannini." He and I-Pin alike looked a little nervous. "Did you see Kyoko or Haru while you were gone? We've been told to find them and bring them back here."

Yamamoto had been sent out to retrieve Tsuna's body. He'd been out anyway, getting supplies for the base when he'd heard the news that Tsuna had been killed by the Millefiore. He'd been sent to retrieve the body. It hadn't been an easy task and Yamamoto couldn't help but keep blaming himself for what had happened.

Soon after he'd been told by Giannini that Reborn had returned to them from the future. Finishing with his task with Tsuna Yamamoto had hurried back to the base.

"Thanks." Yamamoto walked off without giving the two an answer. He hadn't really been paying attention to Lambo anyway.

Quick strides brought him to the conference room in a few short minutes. He knew that really he should be going to find Gokudera. There was really no telling when the rampage was going to start. He should go to find the Storm Guardian before something bad happened.

He'd just lost Tsuna he couldn't lose Hayato too. Then again they'd received Reborn back. If Reborn was back couldn't the same happen to the boss? He had to check this out for himself.

And there the little guy was as if nothing had ever happened. "Yamamoto-kun," Futa greeted him as he entered . "How are you?"

"Fine," he answered not really paying attention. "Fill me in," he demanded. Apparently a lot had happened while he'd been gone and the Rain Guardian didn't really understand it.

So they brought him up to speed. While they'd discovered some about 7^3 policy since their Reborn had died Giannini had found a way to block its toxic effects on the Arcobaleno. So now Reborn had returned courtesy of Lambo's bazooka, and could resist the effects.

Something was also going down in Italy because all communication with the CEDEF was gone as well as with the Varia. Dino and the Cavallone family were still in contact but he was busy with his own conflicts at the moment.

Hibari and Mukuro were still up in the air.

After they'd received word of Tsuna being taken down by the Millefiore they sent words to all the reachable guardians. Soon after Ryohei's transmitter had died, they had no word form him since.

Yamamoto's dark eyes hardened. How many more were they going to lose before this was over? "We've sent Lambo and I-Pin to go and bring the girls back here. They refused before but with their families gone, they'll see reason," Futa said.

"Hayato's gone," Bianchi intruded on their conversation. She was standing in the doorway, goggles over her eyes.

"He can't be! No one has gone!" Giannini protested startled. He began furiously typing at his computer trying to figure out how the Storm Guardian slipped past him.

Yamamoto shook his head. "If Hayato didn't want to be seen he wouldn't be. I'll find him." He turned and shouldered by Bianchi. "Be back soon." The swordsman wouldn't let his intense worry show. He didn't like Gokudera outside alone. He didn't know if he could lose Gokudera, he couldn't lose another friend.

* * *

Yamamoto wasn't as dense as he always seemed. He knew exactly where Gokudera would go. To visit Tsuna. Or at least what was left of the Italian's beloved boss.

To keep himself sane he had to keep repeated to himself that Gokudera was fine doing solo work. This would be no exception. He had no reason to worry about the other like this.

Since he hadn't told anyone he was going it was obvious the bomber wanted to be alone. Yamamoto would probably end up with a mouth full of explosives as proof. He'd just meet up with Gokudera on his way home though right? No harm there.

Unless of course he planned to go up against the Millefiore alone after. Gokudera had matured over the years but Tsuna's death definitely changed things. Afraid of those thoughts Yamamoto put them from his mind.

It was hours of walking over uneven forest terrain before Yamamoto came across anything, friend or foe. In this case the latter. A mosca. Having not detected him - it seemed focused on something else - it was easy enough for the swordsman to dispatch.

However, he was not prepared for what he was faced with now; the mosca's distraction. The boss, Tsuna, alive and well. A little ruffled from the attack and nervous but definitely alive.

Then Gokudera. The powerful Guardian back before all of this had started. Before he'd been too tied down by this terrible mafia game, and the deaths of all those close to him.

'Oh, Lal,' he thought, a small spark of long forgotten joy hidden in his eyes. 'Thank you so much, so much for keeping them safe.'

Maybe they should have honestly expected it from Reborn's return, but it was too much to grasp or even consider.

His resolve strengthened right then. It had turned into saving Gokudera after Tsuna's death. Do anything to keep Gokudera safe. Now there was actually hope of that. Tsuna would save them all yet.

Maybe everything wasn't over. There could still be a world where they all lived together. Someone would always find a reason to throw a party. They'd go outside to watch Gokudera's homemade fireworks.

Realizing they were all staring at each other Yamamoto smiled slightly. It was weird doing it. It was such a rare occurrence lately.

Tsuna was watching him with awe and respect. If only he knew what he was going to become in the future. Tsuna was more more awe deserving than he was.

He missed Tsuna so much, he missed Gokudera so much. The one that would actually show his emotions. The one around base lately had been so emotionless because of all the pain. Yamamoto knew how it felt. It was easier to hide the pain then let yourself express it.

The green in his eyes glinted in the lighting. There was surprise there and maybe even a bit of awe as well. Probably for his quick dispatch of the mosca. Noticing that Yamamoto had caught his own staring Gokudera pointedly looked away. A slight blush was on his cheeks.

Yamamoto nearly sighed with pleasure. He missed this, really missed it. Glancing between the two though...the smile increased. There was so much building potential here between the two before him. A boss and his treasured guardian. Maybe it _could_ all be possible.


End file.
